Stotts has played rookies more than any other coach in the NBA this season. But over the last four games, he’s leaned on them even more, playing Damian Lillard, Meyers Leonard, Victor Claver, Will Barton and Joel Freeland a combined average of 83 minutes per game.

Lillard has continued his season-long high-volume role, and Leonard (19 minutes) and Claver (18 minutes), in particular, have seen a drastic uptick in their playing time. Freeland and Barton have not been featured quite as prominently during the run, but Barton played 16 minutes in a win against Minnesota on Saturday and one of the two has played a first-half shift in each of the last four games.

When asked Wednesday about the increase in rookie minutes, Stotts refused to say there has been a calculated shift to go young and abandon the team’s long-shot playoff chances. In fact, even after the Blazers’ blew a 17-point lead during a 91-85 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies, he pledged that the team would continue to fight for a playoff spot until it is mathematically eliminated.

“It’s uphill, but we’re still there,” Stotts said Wednesday of the Blazers’ postseason chances. “We just have to roll some wins together. That will take care of itself.”

But with a murderous schedule looming — including a matchup at the Western Conference-leading San Antonio Spurs Friday night — it seems most likely the last four games are merely a taste of things to come.

MOMENTUM FOR MAYNOR

Backup point guard Eric Maynor, whom the Blazers acquired at the NBA trade deadline, is settling in nicely with his new role and new team.

After offering glimpses of his potential in his first two games, Maynor has been a difference-maker the last three. It started with his breakout outing against the Timberwolves — when he recorded a career-high 12 assists — and has blossomed since.

He made 5 of 8 shots and finished with 10 points, three assists and two rebounds in 24 minutes against the Charlotte Bobcats. Then, during Wednesday night’s loss to the Grizzlies, Maynor recorded 12 points, four assists and four rebounds in 25 minutes.

In the first half against Memphis, he guided the second unit with precision and poise, tossing multiple pretty passes that resulted in assists, including a fast-break outlet to Claver and a no-look dish to Leonard for a dunk. Later, in the fourth quarter, he flashed some moxie, nailing two clutch three-pointers and scoring nine points that kept the Blazers within striking distance down the stretch.

Over the last three games, Maynor is averaging 9.7 points, 6.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 55 percent from the field.

Five games is hardly a large enough sample size for the Blazers to determine whether Maynor is a long-term piece, but he’s certainly making a strong first impression.